Barbara Harris

Barbara Clementine Harris (June 12, 1930 – March 13, 2020) was an American bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. She was the first woman consecrated a bishop in the Anglican Communion. She was elected suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, on September 24, 1988, and was consecrated on February 11, 1989. Eight thousand people attended the service, which was held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She served in the role of suffragan bishop for 13 years, retiring in 2003. Personal life and education Barbara Clementine Harris was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 12, 1930. She was the daughter of Walter Harris and Beatrice Waneidah Price. Harris attended the Philadelphia High School for Girls (class of 1948). There, she excelled in music and wrote a weekly column for the Philadelphia version of the Pittsburgh Courier called "High School Notes by Bobbi". The alumnae association of the school recognized her as an outstanding alumna for her professional work and she was installed in its court of honor. After graduation from high school, Harris attended the Charles Morris Price School of Advertising and Journalism in Philadelphia, where she earned a certificate in 1950. She later attended Villanova University, the Urban Theology Unit in Sheffield, England, and also graduated from the Pennsylvania Foundation for Pastoral Counseling. Career Prior to her ordination to the priesthood, Harris served as head of public relations for the Sun Oil Company.